Department for Transport

Railways: Economic Situation

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential economic benefit of High Speed 2 plans and the proposals by Transport for the North.

Mr Robert Goodwill: HS2 will dramatically improve connectivity from north to south. Northern Powerhouse Rail will do the same from east to west. These two ambitious programmes, developed side-by-side, will help to rebalance the economy by transforming rail travel to, from, and within the North.The Department and Transport for the North (TfN) are currently developing options for delivering the transformational rail connectivity in the north of England set out in the Northern Transport Strategy, and aim to have an understanding of the relative scale of costs and benefits of these options in autumn 2016.As outlined in the recent HS2 Economic Case published in November 2015, the benefits of the full HS2 Y-Network are estimated to be £72.8bn (2011 prices, PV). This analysis calculated that the benefit cost ratio (BCR) of HS2 is 2.2 for the full Y-network, including wider economic impacts. Therefore, over £2 worth of benefits are expected for every £1 spent which represents high value for money.

Home Office

Cybercrime

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the position of cyber crime in the published lists of priorities of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 17 December 2015



Decisions about setting police priorities are rightly a matter for individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), tailored to the needs of the local community, and for Chief Constables to determine the most appropriate response in their areas.PCCs set the strategic direction and objectives of the force through the Police and Crime Plan which must have regard to the Strategic Policing Requirement (SPR) set by the Home Secretary.The SPR, published in March 2015, sets out the national threats and the appropriate national policing capabilities required to counter those threats. It quotes cyber crime as a National Security Strategy Tier One risk. Section 5 of the SPR, on capability, sets out what the police will need to be doing in order to achieve various outcomes. It specifically states the capabilities needed to conduct complex investigations, including cyber crime, that require specialist resources, including the capability to do so across boundaries.Cyber Security, including combating cyber crime, is a top priority threat to national security. That is why, through the National Cyber Security Programme, we have invested over £90 million over the last five years to bolster the law enforcement response. As the Chancellor announced on 17 November, we plan to almost double investment in cyber security, including cyber crime, to £1.9 billion over the next five years.

Police: Finance

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much of the Police Innovation Fund was allocated to police forces in financial years (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.

Mike Penning: Holding answer received on 17 December 2015



The Police Innovation Fund 2014/15 allocated £53m to Police and Crime Commissioners (and their equivalents) in 2014/15 and 2015/16. The Police Innovation Fund 2015/16 allocated over £71m to Police and Crime Commissioners (and their equivalents) in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Police: Bureaucracy

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect on police workloads of planned reductions in local authority funding on (a) emergency planning, (b) vulnerability strategies, (c) youth offending services, (d) anti-social behaviour strategies and (e) community safety strategies.

Karen Bradley: Holding answer received on 17 December 2015



Funding for local authorities in England is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a matter for the Welsh Government.It is for local authorities to decide how they spend their budgets on these and other issues. Many local authorities already understand the value of working closely with Police and Crime Commissioners and are best placed to make the right decisions for their communities locally.PCCs have a duty under the provisions of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act to work with local authorities in their respective police force areas.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Trade Unions

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which trades union groups have received (a) funding and (b) other support from his Department in each of the last five years.

Mr David Lidington: Holding answer received on 17 December 2015



There are three trade unions with agreed rights to represent employees in the FCO/FCO Services:Public and Commercial Services (PCS): Public and Commercial Services UnionFirst Division Association (FDA): known as the Diplomatic Service Association (DSA) a section of the FDAProspect: representing technical employees and other specialists.In compliance with the Facility Time Framework the FCO submits Quarterly Returns to the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office publish the statistics annually, listing the individual departments.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/418380/Annex_A_-_Facility_Time_Figures_Q1_2014-Q4_2014_Overall.ods’The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not make any payments to trade unions in the UK. Members of staff who belong to a trade union pay their own subscriptions, which are either deducted from their salaries and paid to the relevant union or paid directly by the staff in the form of direct debits. The FCO provides office facilities to its union representatives and meets day-to-day running costs within the rules of public expenditure, set out in FCO guidance. The details of the cost of facilities provided over the last five years are not held centrally and to provide these would incur disproportionate cost. In terms of support provided to the trade unions overseas, this information is not held centrally. Collating it would mean contacting all of our posts overseas, which would incur disproportionate cost.

Guatemala: Industrial Relations

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department has provided to support trades union and workers' rights in Guatemala in each of the last five years.

Mr Hugo Swire: Our support to trade unions and workers’ rights in Guatemala over the past five years has included direct approaches to the Guatemalan government, meetings between British officials and trade union representatives and approaches to the International Labour Organisation, through the European Union.

India: MV Seaman Guard Ohio

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart on the case of six British ex-servicemen detained in India; what steps his Department is taking to provide diplomatic and consular assistance to those people; and what information his Department has received from Indian officials about the reason for the detainment of those men.

Mr Hugo Swire: The six men remain in India due to an ongoing Indian legal process on their case. Ministers have raised this case at the highest levels nearly thirty times since the men were first detained in November 2013. Most recently, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised it for the third time with Prime Minister Modi, during his visit to the UK in November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised the case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs at the UN General Assembly on 29 September and I raised it again on 24 November with the Indian High Commissioner to London.Consular staff in Chennai continue to provide consular support to the men, but we cannot interfere in the ongoing Indian legal process. We are working with them to assess their needs and will continue to identify organisations who can help them and their families.

Ilois: Resettlement

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December 2015 to Question 18442, on Ilois: resettlement, if he will undertake work to investigate all available sources of funding before a decision is taken on resettlement; and if he will seek funding from the Secretary of State for International Development, the US, the EU, the private sector and external funding organisations for such resettlement.

James Duddridge: The Government will consider all funding sources in its decision on resettlement.

Pakistan: Radicalism

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for trends in the levels of extremism in Pakistan.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK and Pakistan share a commitment to defeating extremism. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has said, this is one of the greatest threats that we face. Extremist narratives underpin all acts of terrorism, whether the tragic events that took place in Paris last month, or the murder of 132 innocent children in Peshawar in 2014. That is why we strongly support Pakistan’s efforts to tackle terrorism and the extremism that sustains it. As in the UK, this requires effort in a number of areas, including investment in education, tackling poverty and confronting the extremist narrative.The Government’s Counter-Extremism Strategy sets out our approach to tackling all forms of extremism in the UK. It recognises that the problem is a global one. We are therefore working with international partners, including Pakistan, to reinforce our efforts at home and to build a more robust international response to extremism. As part of this, we continuously assess the threat to the UK and our partners to inform our efforts to combat extremism wherever it emerges. We are also working with Pakistan to deepen our shared understanding of the issue and to develop and implement effective responses.Extremism is a complex and multi-faceted issue. In assessing the nature of extremism, Her Majesty's Government captures a broad spectrum of internal and external source material, including working closely with academics, civil society groups and other governments.

Capital Punishment

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons references to UK objections to the death penalty were omitted from his Department's policy paper, UN Human Rights Council: United Kingdom 2017-2019.

Mr David Lidington: Our UN pledges reflect our enduring commitment to promoting universal human rights which includes work to abolish the death penalty. The position of this Government is clear: We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and we continue to call on all states to abolish it.

Israel: Minority Groups

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Israeli government about the restrictions on construction in government-planned Bedouin towns.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate UK concern by regularly visiting Bedouin communities in the Negev. The Embassy has arranged for the Arab Centre for Alternative Planning to meet Israel’s Minister of Construction to discuss the issue of restrictions on construction in Negev Bedouin towns. The Ambassador plans to raise this issue with the Minister of Construction in January.

Israel: Minority Groups

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what work his Department is undertaking with partner countries to address the inequalities experienced by Bedouin Arab communities in Israel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We are concerned about the inequalities faced by Bedouin Arab communities in Israel. The British Embassy in Tel Aviv is particularly focused on issues related to housing and supports several Arab town planning projects in Green Line Israel. These projects provide professional training and practical solutions for dozens of urban planners and engineers in Arab towns, helping them to overcome planning obstacles. This year our projects include: establishing an engineers' task-force, professional advice for Arab local authorities in planning matters and a piece of research into planning obstacles.We continue to lodge our concerns about ongoing evictions and demolitions with contacts at Israel’s Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Agriculture and to encourage the development of a policy based on genuine consultation, which secures the buy-in of the community. We have pursued this with Prime Minister Netanyahu's chief advisor on Arab affairs, who told us that the state has invested 1.2 billion NIS in Bedouin education, employment and infrastructure.

Israel: Minority Groups

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Israeli government on the provision of services to communities of different ethnicities  in the Negev region.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate our concern by regularly visiting the Bedouin communities. They have raised the issue of provision of services with the Arab Affairs Officer in the Prime Minister’s Office and will continue to do so.

Israel: Minority Groups

Andy Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations his Department has made to the Israeli government on the risk of demolition to recognised and unrecognised Bedouin villages in Israel.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to demonstrate our concern by regularly visiting the Bedouin communities. Officials have raised the issue of risk of demolition of unrecognised villages of Um-il-Hiran and Ateer with the Ministry of Justice and the Arab Affairs Officer at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Lebanon: Refugees

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government is offering to the government of Lebanon on the distribution of central resources to municipalities to enable host communities to assist refugees; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is providing £9 million this year to support the Lebanese Host Community Support Programme. This programme is aimed at providing basic services to 49 of Lebanon’s most vulnerable municipalities (those most affected by the pressures of hosting large refugee communities). It is jointly run by the Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs and the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The programme does not use central government resources, but the Government of Lebanon does provide strategic direction through consultations with UNDP. We hope that their involvement will help to strengthen their capacity to respond to the Syria crisis.Since the start of the Syria crisis the UK has contributed over £330 million to help maintain Lebanese stability.

Commonwealth

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote trade and diplomatic connections with the Commonwealth.

Mr Hugo Swire: The UK is committed to maintaining and strengthening its economic and diplomatic engagement with the Commonwealth. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) led a strong UK delegation to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in November. He announced funding for a number of initiatives including to help the Commonwealth’s small island states develop their maritime economies.The UK pressed to ensure that trade issues were covered in the CHOGM communique. Commonwealth leaders agreed to advance global trade negotiations and in particular ratify the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.I and The Minister for Trade and Investment, the right hon the Lord Maude of Horsham, took part in the Commonwealth Business Forum in Malta. Lord Maude addressed the opening plenary on leveraging trade networks across the Commonwealth, and pushed for progress on free trade agreements to facilitate and increase trade between Commonwealth countries. He also held a number of bilateral meetings to discuss trade and investment opportunities. The UK continues to be a strong supporter of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council which organised the Business Forum and is expanding business networks across the Commonwealth.

Burundi: Security

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to contribute towards stabilising the security situation in Burundi.

James Duddridge: I have recently returned from a visit to Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi on 15, 16 and 17 December to contribute towards stabilising the security situation in Burundi. In my meeting with the Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, I encouraged him to take forward the proposed dialogue with renewed urgency. In my meeting with the Rwandan Foreign Minister, I underlined the need for constructive engagement to solve the Burundi crisis. I was clear with the Burundian Foreign Minister that President Nkurunziza must take up President Museveni’s offer of mediation and engage in talks with all parties. This follows a number of telephone calls I have made to the Burundian Foreign Minister following the inflammatory comments made by the President and President of the Senate. This engagement is the latest example of the lead role that the UK has played in building a single, consistent, international community response to the security situation in Burundi. In January we set up a group of key international partners, who have since worked together to develop a common strategy and encouraged President Nkurunziza to engage with the international community and respect the principles of the Arusha Agreement. In June the UK appointed a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes, Danae Dholakia, who is active in delivering our messages on Burundi. We have supported the East Africa Community in delivering a regional solution. And we have encouraged the African Union efforts to play a strong role in organising an inclusive dialogue outside of Burundi. This would do much to help to pave the way for delivery of a sustainable solution to the crisis. We continue to work with the African Union to mobilise the financial and political resources to support the mediation process. It was under the UK’s Presidency of the UN Security Council that Resolution 2248 was agreed. This Resolution demonstrates the unity of the international community in its approach to the crisis. We continue to work with our colleagues around the world on contingency options. In addition, the Department for International Development is providing £14.25 million to support the relief efforts for refugees fleeing to the region. The Department for International Development is further providing £3.9 million for the refugee response in Rwanda through the United Nations and non-governmental organisations. This has been used to fund refugee transport, medical care, shelters and food rations. Finally, the UK strongly supported a sanctions regime for Burundi. Four individuals have been listed so far. The European Union and African Union are giving consideration to further sanctions against individuals.

Ministers: Visits Abroad

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries have not received a visit by a UK Minister since 2000.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: This information is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.Ministers regularly make visits overseas in pursuit of UK interests.

Ethiopia: Public Order

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will call on his Ethiopian counterpart to allow peaceful protest in the Oromia region and withdraw paramilitary forces.

James Duddridge: The UK Government is deeply concerned about the current situation in Oromia and in particular about the reported deaths of a number of students. The Department for International Development Parliamentary Under Secretary of State raised our concerns with the Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister on 11 December and urged the authorities to exercise restraint. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Ethiopia, including on the use of force.

Ethiopia: Evictions

Mr David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will instruct HM Ambassador to Ethiopia to investigate allegations that paramilitary and security forces have killed more than 60 people in the Oromia region of that country following protests about enforced evictions of indigenous people; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: The UK Government takes these allegations extremely seriously. We have raised concerns with the Ethiopian government about the use of force and urged the authorities to exercise restraint. The Department for International Development Parliamentary Under Secretary of State raised this issue with the Ethiopian Deputy Prime minister on 11 December, as did our Chargé d'Affaires with the State Minister for Foreign Affairs on 15 December. Our Embassy in Ethiopia is monitoring closely the situation. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Ethiopia, including on the use of force.

Attorney General

Courts: Appeals

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Attorney General, what the cost to the public purse has been since December 2014 of the Government defending cases which have been appealed to the European Court of Justice following a ruling in the Royal Courts or the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Robert Buckland: Cases are not appealed to the Court of Justice of the European Union from UK courts but they can ask for preliminary rulings on a point of European law from the Court of Justice of the European Union.The amount of disbursements paid by the Government for Counsel’s fees and for travel and accommodation costs for hearings in requests for a preliminary ruling to the Court of Justice of the European Union from United Kingdom Courts since December 2014 was £33,288.42.This includes requests for preliminary rulings made by UK Tribunals, but not other legal proceedings in the CJEU in which the UK Courts and Tribunals have played no part. It does not include disbursements incurred but not yet paid, the cost of government lawyers and other staff involved in these cases within the Government, or costs incurred in relation to the domestic aspects of the proceedings, which are not centrally recorded.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Sahaviriya Steel Industries UK: Redcar

Anna Turley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what criteria were used to cap the value of the Government support package to £80 million for people affected by the closure of SSI Redcar.

Anna Soubry: The package, worth up to £80 million, announced to support former SSI workers and the Tees Valley economy more broadly was based on an initial assessment of what could make an immediate and lasting difference to the people affected and the local economy.We are looking closely Task Force to deliver proposals which they have identified will help recover from this closure, including funding to support apprentices complete their training, support for workers to retrain, and help for local businesses to grow. As the Prime Minister and Secretary of State have said, should more funding be needed, we will consider that.

Social Mobility

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on social mobility of the findings of research by the Resolution Foundation, set out in its report, The Pinch, published in December 2015, on differences in household wealth between generations; and what steps the Government plans to take to address such differences.

Nick Boles: I note the Resolution Foundation’s work published in December 2015.This Government is focussed on securing economic prosperity, providing the foundations to support opportunity for all.Through improved education, work chances, a fairer welfare system and a stronger economy we are aiming to help increase the standard of living for everyone in the UK.

Average Earnings

Phil Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the implications are for his Department's policy of the analysis undertaken by the Resolution Foundation set out in its report, The Pinch, published on 10 December 2015, of (a) the effects of the financial events of the last 10 years on those aged 16 to 44 relative to those aged 55 to 64 and (b) the changes in that period in levels of real median weekly earnings across different cohorts of the population.

Nick Boles: The financial crisis triggered the worst recession in living memory. However, GDP surpassed its pre-recession level in Q2 2013 and the UK’s economic recovery is now well established. Since 2010, on average, the UK has been the joint fastest growing economy in the G7 and the labour market has continued to make strong progress.According to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), excluding full-time students under the age of 25, the employment rate of people aged 16-49 fell from 76.9% in the three months to May 2008 to a post-recession low of 74.0% in the three months to March 2010. Since mid-2011, the employment rate for this group has increased over time and the latest data shows that it reached a record high of 77.7% in the three months to October 2015.While the recession had less of an impact on the employment rate of people aged 50-64, their current employment has also reached a record high for this group, of 70.0%.The analysis in Resolution Foundation’s report you mention looked at real median weekly earnings of various cohorts over time. While not strictly cohort analysis, more recent cross-sectional data from the ONS’s Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) shows that the increase in nominal median gross weekly pay between April 2014 and April 2015 varied across age groups as follows[1]:16-17 year olds: 8.2%[2]18-21 year olds: 4.0%22-29 year olds: 3.2%30-39 year olds: 1.1%40-49 year olds: 2.6%50-59 year olds: 2.5%60+ year olds: 1.9%CPI inflation over the same period was -0.1% in the year to April 2015.Pay, and ultimately living standards are strongly linked to productivity. That is why the Government is working hard to boost productivity, and therefore wages, with the ambitious measures outlined in our Productivity Plan. Our higher pay, lower tax, lower welfare society is the route to raising living standards for everyone in the UK.[1] Employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence[2] Figures for 16-17 year olds include employees not on adult rates of pay

Business: Summertime

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits to businesses of using daylight saving time all year.

Nick Boles: The Department has not made such an assessment.In 2012, the Government published a review of the available evidence concerning the likely effects of moving to single double summer time in the UK. This is available on the Government website at the following link. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/34587/12-1036-review-evidence-putting-clocks-forward.pdf

Conditions of Employment: Telephone Services

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many complaints were heard by the Pay and Work Rights Helpline regarding employment issues; and how many of these complaints were from (a) interns and (b) apprentices in each of the last five years.

Nick Boles: Table 1 shows the total number of complaints made to the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (PWRH) and then referred to the relevant enforcement agency. It also includes a breakdown of the number of complaints from interns and apprentices for 2013/14 and 2014/15; the only years for which this data is available. Data for 2014/15 is the latest year for which full year data are availableTable 1: Complaints made to the PWRH by caller type, 2009/10 to 2014/152009/10 2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15Total Complaints4,4202,8203,1103,3004,2904,160Of whichApprentices----170140Interns----7020Source: Pay and Works Rights HelplineNotesFigures are rounded to the nearest ten.A breakdown of complaints from Apprentice and Interns is not available prior to 2013/14 as these callers types were not considered a prioritised group and were therefore not recorded separately.The PWRH ‘soft launched’ in May 2009, all other years are on a full financial year basis (April to March).Enforcement agencies who investigate complaints include HM Revenue and Customs, Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate, Health and Safety Executive, Gangmasters Licensing Authority and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (until Oct 2013).

Living Wage

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on businesses which have entered into long-term supply contracts of the introduction of the national living wage.

Nick Boles: Businesses can respond to the introduction of the National Living Wage in a number of ways. In the case of supply contracts, the response is likely to vary from contract to contract according to specific circumstances. For example, some contracts will include provision for changes in statutory pay requirements.The Government published a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage on 7th December 2015.

Land Registry

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will meet staff representatives in HM Land Registry to discuss concerns they have regarding the announcement in the Spending Review Autumn Statement 2015 which stated that the Government would be consulting on options to move operations of the Land Registry to the private sector from 2017.

Anna Soubry: PCS representatives have requested to meet with me. I look forward to the meeting which will be organised in the New Year

Land Registry

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will publish the timetable for the proposed change of status of the Land Registry before a public consultation on that matter takes place; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: In the Spending Review Autumn Statement 2015 the Chancellor announced the Government’s intent to consult on options to move operations of the Land Registry into the private sector from 2017.We intend to launch the consultation in the New Year setting out Government’s proposals. Final decisions on the options to be included in the consultation have not yet been made.No decisions on the options will be taken until after the consultation, but, if Government chose to proceed we would look to then introduce any legislation required.

Land Registry

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much the Exchequer received from the HM Land Registry trading fund in 2014-15.

Anna Soubry: Land Registry total revenue for 2014/15 was £297.1m. Land Registry paid a dividend of £19.1m to the Exchequer.As a Trading Fund, Land Registry is subject to government rules set out in Managing Public Money. This specifies that the charges it makes for its core statutory functions should cover its full costs, 3.5% to reflect the cost of capital used in providing services. As a Trading Fund, Land Registry is required to return the charge for cost of capital to the Consolidated Fund as a dividend. In 2014/15 this ordinary dividend was £19.1million.In 2014/15 Land Registry also paid a special dividend of £100million to the Exchequer. This reflected over-recovery from customers in previous years as a result of higher than forecast volume of transactions.

Land Registry

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Spending Review and Autumn Statement 2015, section 10.5, when he plans to launch the consultation on the future status of the Land Registry; and whether the status quo will be one of the options put forward in that consultation.

Anna Soubry: In the Spending Review Autumn Statement 2015 the Chancellor announced the Government’s intent to consult on options to move operations of the Land Registry into the private sector from 2017.We intend to launch the consultation in the New Year setting out Government’s proposals. Final decisions on the options to be included in the consultation have not yet been made.No decisions on the options will be taken until after the consultation, but, if Government chose to proceed we would look to then introduce any legislation required.

Apprentices: Taxation

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what estimate his Department has made of the value of the contract of tender for the employers' digital apprenticeship account; and when he plans to put that contract out to tender.

Nick Boles: The Department has completed an assessment of the cost to implement the Digital Apprenticeship Service. In line with Cabinet Office best practice, we do not intend to procure the full scope of the Digital Apprenticeship Service. We supplement in-house expertise with services from a range of suppliers and will procure any further services through government frameworks in phases over the next 12 months.

Apprentices: Expenditure

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how much was spent by the Government on apprenticeships in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Nick Boles: Combined BIS/DfE spend by the Government on apprenticeships in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13 is shown in the table.£KFY2010-11FY2011-12FY2012-13TOTAL1,195,7501,383,5681,424,097

Trade Fairs

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what the budget for the Trade Show Access Programme will be in financial year (a) 2016-17, (b) 2017-18 and (c) 2018-19; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: For 2016/17 and beyond, UKTI will be reviewing how the Tradeshow Access Programme is aligned with other Export Services as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review settlement. It is therefore not possible to confirm the budget at this stage

Institute for Apprenticeships: Trade Unions

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, which trades unions will be represented in the proposed Institute for Apprenticeships.

Nick Boles: The independent Chair and Board members of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be appointed in accordance with the public appointments process.

Department for International Development

Tuberculosis: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to incentivise the development of new drugs to treat TB.

Mr Nick Hurd: DFID has supported the development of new drug combinations to treat TB since 2005. Funding is provided to the TB Alliance, a product development partnership (PDP). PDPs bring together partners from the public, private and philanthropic sectors to develop new products in a way that de-links the cost of development from the final cost of product. The TB Alliance is currently testing a number of new drugs combinations to simplify and shorten TB treatment times and provide new treatment options for drug resistant TB.In addition we committed in our manifesto to lead a major new global programme to accelerate the development of vaccines and drugs to eliminate the world’s deadliest infectious diseases. In November the Chancellor announced the new £1 billion Ross Fund which will deliver on this commitment. The Ross Fund will target infectious diseases including malaria and tuberculosis, supporting work to develop, test and deliver a range of new products (including vaccines, drugs and diagnostics) to help combat these diseases in developing countries.

Syria: Military Intervention

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) funding, (b) personnel support and (c) other support has been provided by the Government under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund referred to in the Prime Minister's response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's report on the Extension of Offensive British Military Operations to Syria, published on 26 November 2015.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Under the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, the UK has delivered over £100million in support to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon since the start of the crisis. This has focussed on strengthening the moderate opposition, building resilience against extremists, fostering civil society structures in besieged areas, promoting Human Rights, delivering basic governance and laying the foundations for a more peaceful and inclusive future for Syria. Further details of our funding can be found on the Gov.uk website.The UK has always punched above its weight in helping deal with the effects of the Syria crisis. Our vision for Syria is an open, democratic society with greater social, economic and political participation where violent extremism does not have a place and where refugees feel safe to return. That is why, alongside our pledge of over £1.1 billion in humanitarian aid, the Prime Minister announced a commitment of at least £1 billion to reconstruction in Syria during the 26 October Commons debate.

Overseas Aid: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to encourage other countries to fulfil their commitments to funding initiatives to tackle HIV, TB and malaria.

Mr Nick Hurd: The UK government supports calls for shared responsibility and global solidarity in the response to HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.We strongly believe countries should commit according to their ability to contribute. The UK uses fora such as the UNAIDS and Global Fund board meetings to urge other countries to contribute their fair share to end AIDS, TB and Malaria.The UK is also helping to build the evidence that additional domestic resources invested in health can provide high returns, e.g. through the work of the Commission on Investing in Health.

Department for Education

Animal Welfare: Curriculum

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) she and (b) her Department have had with animal welfare organisations on the incorporation of animal welfare in the national curriculum.

Edward Timpson: The Department received representations from animal welfare groups about the inclusion of animal welfare in the science curriculum in response to the consultation on the new National Curriculum.The new primary science curriculum, introduced from September 2014, focuses on the essential scientific knowledge that children need to be educated citizens. It teaches pupils about the requirements for animals to survive such as appropriate habitat, food, water and air. Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education also provides opportunities for pupils to be taught about animal welfare and teachers are free to decide what further activities they offer on this topic.

Sports: Academies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many 16 to 19 year olds are being educated in elite sports academies provided in conjunction with existing sports clubs in each (a) sport and (b) local authority area; how many such academies have received Ofsted inspections; and how many such inspections are planned for 2016.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education does not hold information on elite sports academies.

Internet: Bullying

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with internet service providers on preventing sexual abuse, cyber bullying and social media abuse of young people on the internet; and whether that industry adheres to a code of good practice on such matters.

Edward Timpson: I co-chair the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), along with from the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Home Office and the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Internet Safety and Security. UKCCIS is a group of more than 200 organisations drawn from across government, industry, law, academia, and charity sectors that work in partnership to help keep children safe online. The four main internet service providers are executive members of the UKCCIS Board and the Board regularly discuss the best ways to prevent all forms of online abuse.Under the UKCCIS, the UK’s Communications regulator, Ofcom, is leading a working group to develop best practice guidance for providers of social media for emerging social media platforms to encourage responsible practice from industry, and ensure children using their services are able to do so in a safe and protected way. This guidance will be delivered shortly. All the key players are round the table in this important collaborative project, including Twitter, Facebook, Google, Ask.FM, MindCandy and Microsoft.The government will continue to work closely with social media companies to make sure they are committed to protecting children who use their platforms.

Internet: Bullying

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) schools and (b) further education colleges on educating young people about cyber bullying and social media abuse.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funds her Department makes available to educational establishments to tackle cyber bullying and social media abuse by young people.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to tackle (a) cyberbullying, (b) sexting and (c) other forms of peer-to-peer social media abuse by young people.

Edward Timpson: Schools, internet service providers, and parents all have a role to play in keeping children and young people safe online. The government is aware of the concerns that parents may have about content and inappropriate or upsetting behaviour on social mediaWe have produced advice for parents on how to prevent their child from being cyberbullied, spot signs that they are being targeted and what to do if they are. The Government Equalities Office is funding the UK Safer Internet Centre to produce advice for schools on how to keep children safe online. This is scheduled for publication next spring. The advice for parents can be found online at GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444865/Advice_for_parents_on_cyberbullying.pdfWe are providing £1.3 million this financial year (2015-16) to anti-bullying charities to tackle all forms of bullying including cyberbullying on top of the £4m provided over the period 2013-15. We are also providing £2 million this financial year (2015-16) to organisations to specifically tackle homophobic bullying.Every school is required by law to have a behaviour policy with measures in place to prevent all forms of bullying including cyber-bullying. In July 2015, the Department published the “Keeping Children Safe in Education” guidance for schools and colleges and this can be found online at GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2All schools and colleges must have regard to this statutory guidance when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. The guidance sets out that governing bodies and proprietors should consider how children may be taught about safeguarding, including online, through teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. This may include covering relevant issues through personal, social health and economic education (PSHE), and/or through sex and relationship education (SRE) in maintained schools and colleges.From September 2014, e-safety has been taught at all four key stages of the curriculum in England. It covers responsible, respectful, and secure use of technology, as well as ensuring that pupils are taught age-appropriate ways of reporting any concerns they may have about what they see or encounter online. Children and young people are being taught about the different and escalating risks they may encounter as they get older (initially relating to online content, then to the conduct of and contact with others, which can include sexting).Schools can help to contain cyber-bullying and social media abuse and sexting during the school day by banning or limiting the use of mobiles and other electronic devices. In addition search powers included in the Education Act 2011 have given teachers the power to search for, and if necessary delete, inappropriate images (or files) on electronic devices, including mobile phones.The effectiveness of schools and FE colleges in managing behaviour and tackling bullying is assessed as part of Ofsted inspections. In reaching a judgement on personal development, behaviour and welfare, inspectors will evaluate the extent to which provision supports pupils and students in understanding how to keep themselves safe from relevant risks such as abuse, sexual exploitation and extremism, including when using the internet and social media’The Longitudinal Study of Young Peoplein England(LSYPE) published by my Department in November 2015 compared bullying among two cohorts of 14 year olds (year 10 students)from 2004 and 2014. This shows that, while there is clearly much more to do, thanks to the efforts of teachers and charities30,000fewer peoplein year 10said they had been bullied in the lasttwelve months. This represents a drop from41 per cent in2004to36 per cent in2014.

Ministry of Justice

Bill of Rights

Richard  Arkless: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on his plans for a consultation on the proposed British Bill of Rights.

Dominic Raab: We will consult fully on our proposals for a Bill of Rights and announce further details in due course.

European Court of Human Rights: Public Appointments

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the selection process and timetable are for appointing the UK's new judge on the European Court of Human Rights.

Dominic Raab: This information is available at https://jac.judiciary.gov.uk/vacancies/018.

Matrimonial Proceedings

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place to ensure that all finances of both parties are disclosed when divorce proceedings are commenced.

Caroline Dinenage: In England and Wales, the division of property on divorce is governed by the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973. A court will not make a financial order in a divorce case unless it is satisfied that each party has made a full and frank disclosure of their financial circumstances. Each party in a divorce is under a legal duty to make full and frank disclosure of all material facts to the other party and to the court and must sign a Statement of Truth to that effect. If the court is of the view that one party has deliberately failed or refused to make full and frank disclosure and has concealed his or her true financial circumstances from the other party, it can impose a costs penalty on the dishonest party. In more serious cases, individuals who fail to disclose the full extent of their assets could find themselves in contempt of court and be at risk of imprisonment. If, following a judgment, it is discovered that assets have not been properly disclosed and the judgment would have been different if there had been full disclosure it is possible to apply to the court to have the judgment set aside to be reconsidered. We recently reviewed Form E in light of an error being identified in the automatic calculations and we have amended the function of the form to ensure the calculation facility is now correct. The Ministry of Justice and the HM Courts and Tribunals Service have published advice regarding Form E at:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/divorce-form-information

Personal Independence Payment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many reassessments of personal independent payments (PIP) have been appealed since the introduction of PIP.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many personal independence payment (PIP) reassessment appeals have been upheld since the introduction of PIP.

Caroline Dinenage: The First-tier Tribunal – Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP).Information on overall volumes of PIP appeals received is published by the Ministry of Justice in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report, for the period July to September 2015, can be viewed at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2015Between April 2013 (when PIP was introduced) and September 2015 (the latest period for which statistics are available, 3713 PIP reassessment appeals were upheld.HMCTS does not hold accurate information on the overall volumes of PIP reassessment appeals received.

Cemeteries

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made in making it lawful to reuse graves.

Caroline Dinenage: The reuse of burial space is a sensitive issue and any potential changes in this area, including any legislation, would require careful consideration. We have been actively engaging with stakeholders and will consider whether there is a need for government to take action in due course.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Muslims

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to encourage British Muslims to join the armed forces to tackle ISIL.

Penny Mordaunt: The Ministry of Defence is working up plans to meet the Government’s commitment to increase the number of black, Asian, ethnic minority (BAME) recruits into the Armed Forces to 10% by 2020, and have allocated additional resources for this purpose.Diversity and inclusion is a Defence Board priority and we recognise that there are challenges we need to address and we are engaging with all communities that are under-represented in the Armed Forces to consider ways and means of doing so.Some examples of actions we have taken that are aimed at increasing BAME, including Muslim, recruitment are:Highlighting the benefits of a career in the Armed Forces including the ability to develop a trade or gain professional skills; as well as being a force for good, for example through conducting humanitarian operations.Trying to build mutual understanding between the Armed Forces and local communities including highlighting the role that Muslims have played in operations from World War One to the present day.Tackling the perception that there are no role models for Muslims in the Armed Forces.The Armed Forces have recently (October 2015) won two of the seven awards being presented at the Race for Opportunity Awards. The Armed Forces Muslim Association, of which the Chief of Defence Staff is patron, won the Public Sector Employee Network Award and the Royal Air Force won the Future Workforce Award for their STEM/Employability Skills programme.

Reserve Forces: Discharges

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of those eligible service personnel who have left the reserve forces have participated in the Reservists Employment Support Programme of the Careers Transition Partnership in each year since 2010.

Mark Lancaster: Following the commencement of the Career Transition Partnership on 1 October 2015, the Reservists Employment Support Programme is expected to be trialled from April 2016.

Military Aid: Emergencies

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the length of time it would take to deploy 10,000 armed forces personnel in the event of a civil emergency.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence has developed a comprehensive deployment plan for this force in cooperation with the police and Home Office; this includes timescales to deploy.I am withholding information about response times for reasons of operational security.

Germany: Defence

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of (a) armed forces personnel, (b) civilian staff, (c) equipment and (d) other military assets have been withdrawn from Germany since 2014.

Mark Lancaster: We remain on track to meet the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010 commitment to withdraw our forces from Germany by 2020. The proportion of Armed Forces Regular personnel and civilian staff who have been withdrawn from Germany between the period 1 January 2014 and 1 December 2015 is 40% and 43% respectively. So far 74% of Service personnel based in Germany have relocated to the UK, which exceeds our 2010 SDSR target to relocate 50% of Service personnel by 2015.Units are responsible for returning their equipment and other assets to the UK as required. Some equipment, for example left-hand drive vehicles and Main Battle Tanks, has remained in Germany and is managed on a fleet basis. Other equipments have been moved from the UK to Germany to be held in existing UK climate controlled facilities as part of our high readiness posture. As a result the overall proportions withdrawn from Germany are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Military Aid: Counter-terrorism

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance he is providing to help defeat (a) Boko Haram in West and Central Africa, (b) al Shabab in Somalia and East Africa and (c) al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen.

Mark Lancaster: The UK is increasing support to the Nigerian Forces in tackling the Boko Haram threat. We have a resident British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) that has grown in size since the government announced last year that the UK would increase its support to Nigeria to combat Boko Haram. UK military personnel are working with US, French and Nigerian experts in an intelligence fusion cell in Abuja, and the Coordination and Liaison Cell in N’Djamena, Chad. The Defence Secretary has announced the additional deployment of a small team of experts who will work alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria to provide assistance in countering improvised explosive devices as well as medical training and advice.UK Defence is currently contributing to wider international efforts to achieve stability and security in Somalia and the wider East Africa region and defeat Al Shabaab. We are achieving this through supporting a range of UN and EU Missions to provide training, mentoring, and logistical support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and develop the Somali National Army.Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) continues to pose a threat to both the UK and globally. We are committed to supporting the Yemeni government in establishing a stable and secure Yemen and we continue to work with regional and international partners to tackle the threat posed by AQAP and Daesh in the Yemen. Ongoing peace talks are the top priority as a political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to the country.

Department for Work and Pensions

Dupuytren's Contracture

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timescale is for reaching a decision on the proposals to add Dupuytren's Contracture to the list of industrial injuries disablement benefit diseases.

Justin Tomlinson: The proposal to add Dupuytren’s Contracture is still under consideration and a decision on this will be made in due course.

Occupational Health

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what feedback his Department has received from (a) service users, (b) employers and (c) GPs on the Fit for Work service since its launch.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of patients referred to the Fit for Work service since its launch have since returned to work.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department has taken to evaluate the performance of the Fit for Work service since its launch.

Justin Tomlinson: An evaluation strategy is in place for Fit for Work. As part of this, a formal process evaluation is being undertaken. The formal evaluation will include feedback from employee users of the service, GPs and employers. Return to work will also be covered. Monthly performance group meetings take place between the Department and the providers in both England/Wales and Scotland together with weekly meetings to discuss management information and performance issues.

Help to Work Scheme

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the destinations of (a) people referred to the Mandatory Work Activity scheme who did not join that programme, (b) people who joined the Mandatory Work Activity scheme but did not complete the full length of their placement and (c) people who left the Mandatory Work Activity scheme after completing the full length of their placement.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication, Mandatory Programmes official statistics: May 2011 to August 2015, published on 25 November 2015, how many people who joined the Mandatory Work Activity scheme during this period finished their work placement early as a result of taking up paid employment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication, Mandatory Programmes official statistics: May 2011 to August 2015, published on 25 November 2015, how many people who joined the Mandatory Work Activity scheme during this period subsequently completed a work placement in full.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's publication, Mandatory Programmes official statistics: May 2011 to August 2015, published on 25 November 2015, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the difference between the number of people referred to the Mandatory Work Activity scheme and the number of people who subsequently joined the programme during this period.

Priti Patel: Mandatory Work Activity is a supportive programme designed to help claimants who need extra support from a short work placement to re-focus their job search activity and gain further experience of work. Unemployed Jobseekers Allowance or Universal Credit claimants are referred for up to 4 weeks work experience and will participate on the placement for up to 30 hours a week.The number of referrals and starts is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/pre-work-programme-and-get-britain-working.An impact assessment of Mandatory Work Activity was published in 2012 (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mandatory-work-activity--2) which considered referrals to the programme in the period May to July 2012. An evaluation of Mandatory Work Activity also published in 2012 (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/evaluation-of-mandatory-work-activity-rr823) which included a telephone survey of participants who had been referred to and started an Mandatory Work Allowance placement.The evaluation and impact assessment were conducted in 2012 and does not cover the period of the Official Statistics from May 2011 to August 2015.

Help to Work Scheme

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reasons the Government has ended the (a) Mandatory Work Activity scheme and (b) Community Work Placements element of the Help to Work scheme.

Priti Patel: The economy and labour market have improved since the introduction of our employment programmes. Long-term unemployment has fallen by 35% since 2010 to 509,000, the lowest level in six years. The support we provide to claimants needs to reflect recent labour market changes and the needs of claimants. That is why there will be an increase in funding and new contracted provision to help people with disability and health conditions and the very long-term unemployed return to and remain in work.The Mandatory Work Activity and Community Work Placement contracts come to an end in March 2016. We always intended to review the contracts at this time. We will provide support to the long-term unemployed through a strengthened JobCentre Plus offer for those out of work for 12-24 months, and for anyone still unemployed after 2 years we will refer them to contracted provision for further support.This approach builds on our best evidence of what works to support claimants back into work, and gets a good deal for the taxpayer.

Help to Work Scheme

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on the Help to Work scheme in the 2014-15 financial year; and how much of the budget for that scheme for the 2015-16 financial year has been spent to date.

Priti Patel: The Help to Work scheme contains a number of initiatives and programmes, delivered through Jobcentre Plus and Contracted Employment Provision.It is not possible to identify the costs of Help to Work activities separately from the total expenditure in Jobcentre Plus. The relevant data is not held in a form which allows it to be clearly identified and separated from other Jobcentre Plus activities.The two elements delivered through Contracted Employment Programmes are Community Work Placements and the Supervised Jobsearch Pilot. Expenditure on Community Work Placements was £1.8m in 2014-15. Expenditure on Supervised Jobsearch Pilot in 2014-15 was £6.3m. This is funded by income from the European Social Fund

Winter Fuel Payments

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many automatic payments of partial winter fuel payment have been made in each of the last three years; and how many of those payments have been converted to full payments following an application by the recipient.

Kirsten  Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in single occupancy households who qualified for the full winter fuel payment only received a partial payment because they did not apply for the additional payment in each of the last three years.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not available.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing: Waiting Lists

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children are registered on waiting lists for social housing.

Brandon Lewis: In 2013-14, there were around 91,000 single people under the age of 35 with no dependent children on at least one social housing waiting list in England. This is down from 124,000 in 2004-5 and 110,000 in 2010-11. (Source: English Housing Survey, Department for Communities and Local Government).

Social Rented Housing: Scotland

Richard  Arkless: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the effect of Scottish Government policies on the level of new affordable social housing in Scotland.

Brandon Lewis: Delivery of affordable housing in Scotland is a devolved matter.

Bellwin Scheme

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local authorities affected by the recent flooding have applied to his Department for funding under the Bellwin scheme.

Mr Marcus Jones: As at 16 December, the 11 local authorities listed below had registered for financial support from the Bellwin scheme for the December 2015 severe weather events. More local authorities are expected to register for the scheme in the coming days and weeks.Allerdale Borough CouncilBarrow-in-Furness Borough CouncilCarlisle City CouncilCopeland District CouncilCumbria County CouncilCumbria Police and Crime CommissionerEden District CouncilLancaster City CouncilNorthumberland County CouncilSouth Lakedale District CouncilWyre Borough Council

Non-domestic Rates

Mr Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to provide relief funding to allow local authorities to reduce business rates for businesses affected by flooding.

Mr Marcus Jones: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement of 17 December, HCWS442, which can be found at the following link:http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm151217/wmstext/151217m0001.htm#15121732000005

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Robert Jenrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on whether planning consent has been granted for a new traveller site situated in a conservation area within England since 2010.

Brandon Lewis: The Department does not hold the information requested. Although we collect quarterly data from local planning authorities on the planning decisions that they have made - including on new traveller sites - information is not collected on whether such decisions relate to sites within a conservation area.

Affordable Housing

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will ensure that affordable rent to buy housing is exempt from the Government's pay to stay proposals for higher income social tenants.

Brandon Lewis: Higher income social tenants in a Rent to Buy scheme will not face increased rent under proposals for pay to stay. This is because the rent they pay is an intermediate rent which is excluded from social rent policy.

Sleeping Rough

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what special support his Department is providing to rough sleepers over the Christmas period.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. That is why since 2010 we have invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. But even one person without a home is one too many, which is why we have committed in the Spending Review to increase central investment over the next four years to £139 million for innovative programmes to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. We are also maintaining and protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, through the provisional local government finance settlement totalling £315 million by 2019/20.Severe weather emergency provision for rough sleepers is of the utmost importance. Local authorities, with their voluntary sector partners, have arrangements in place to move rough sleepers indoors during periods of severe cold weather.

Sleeping Rough: North West

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what special measures he has taken to provide assistance to rough sleepers in areas affected by floods in Lancashire and Cumbria.

Mr Marcus Jones: My rt. hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (George Osborne) announced on 9 December that the Government has made £51 million available through the Communities and Business Recovery Scheme to help local authorities impacted by Storm Desmond to recover. The Scheme is designed to provide ready support to those local authorities to, in turn, help individuals, businesses and communities return to normality. Where local authorities judge that rough sleepers are in need of assistance, they can use the funding for that purpose. The funding can also be used to provide temporary accommodation for any family made homeless.The Government remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. That is why since 2010 we’ve invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. But even one person without a home is one too many, which is why we have committed in the Spending Review to increase central investment over the next four years to £139 million for innovative programmes to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. We are also maintaining and protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, through the provisional local government finance settlement totalling £315 million by 2019/20.

Local Government: Muslims

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to increase the representation of Muslims on elected bodies.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government believes that democratic institutions make the best decisions when they have a mix of people with different skills, backgrounds and experiences, from right across the country. The Government implemented section 106 of the Equality Act, which makes it possible to require registered political parties to publish anonymised data relating to the diversity of their candidate selection. This is a voluntary approach, which provides greater transparency over candidate selection. It is for political parties to ensure that they have a wide range of candidates to stand for elections.We have supported and promoted mentoring schemes and internships at local and national Government level to open up political life to black, Asian and minority women and disabled people. Schemes such as the ‘Be a Councillor Campaign’ run by the Local Government Association encourage candidates from all walks of life to come forward and represent their local community.

Affordable Housing

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy that affordable rent to buy housing is included as an option for developers in the Housing and Planning Bill's general duty on all planning authorities in order to promote the supply of starter homes.

Brandon Lewis: The Housing and Planning Bill will support our manifesto commitment to build 200,000 Starter Homes to help more young people into home ownership. Like other valuable products which support access to home ownership, affordable rent-to-buy, can be considered by councils as part of their wider affordable housing requirements for their area.

Northern Ireland Office

Trade Promotion: Northern Ireland

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government is taking to promote Northern Ireland as a destination for meetings, events and conferences.

Mr Ben Wallace: Measures to provide a further boost to tourism were included in the economic pact, Building a Prosperous and United Community, which was agreed between the Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. This includes a UK-Ireland visa system, which means that people from China and India can visit both countries with a single visa, thus encouraging tourism, business links and inward investment.

Department of Health

Hepatitis

Mr Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2015 to Question 10658, whether the national improvement framework for hepatitis C services will contain guidance on (a) commissioning responsibilities and (b) patient pathways.

Jane Ellison: Commissioning responsibilities for hepatitis C are divided between NHS England, clinical commissioning groups and local authorities. In the light of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published guidance for the anti-viral drugs, the successful establishment of Operational Delivery Networks across England, and the rapidly widening access to curative treatment to thousands of patients, the draft Improvement Framework does not provide detailed commissioning guidance or patient pathways. NHS England is exploring how such guidance might be developed through its collaborative commissioning arrangements.

Blood: Contamination

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the minutes of the infected blood reference group meeting held on 5 October 2015; and for what reasons those minutes have not yet been published.

Jane Ellison: A report was produced by the independent facilitator who chaired the event and a final version was agreed with representatives from the campaign groups who attended, namely the Haemophilia Society, Contaminated Blood Campaign, and Tainted Blood. The report has now been published on the Haemophilia Society website.

Cholesterol

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of the adult population had raised cholesterol in each of the last five years; and what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of cholesterol and (b) reduce the number of people with high cholesterol.

Jane Ellison: National estimates of cholesterol in adults is measured yearly by the Health Survey for England (HSE). Data on raised cholesterol from the HSE were last published by Health and Social Care Information Centre in 2012, using the latest data from 2011. The data showed 52% of men and 53% of women aged 16+ had raised cholesterol.Information on cholesterol and its impact on health can be accessed on the NHS Choices website. Information on cholesterol as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease was also shared directly with 7.4 million people between April 2013 and September 2015 as part of the NHS Health Check invitation. Over the same period, over 3.5 million people between 40 and 74 years also benefited from a cholesterol check as part of the NHS Health Check.The Government advocates a healthy balanced diet based on the eatwell plate and everyday activity to improve health. People should consume no more than 11% of their food energy as saturated fat. Reducing saturated fat consumption reduces blood cholesterol levels. Advice about cutting saturated fat intake and becoming more physically active can be found on the NHS Choices and Change4Life websites.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to develop a shared strategy across the UK for tackling sexually transmitted diseases.

Jane Ellison: The Department set out its ambitions on sexual health, including tackling sexually transmitted diseases, in its Framework for Sexual Health Improvement in England (2013); a copy is attached.As health is a devolved matter Ministers do not regularly discuss these issues, however research and evidence of best practice is made available throughout the United Kingdom.



Framework for Sexual Health
(PDF Document, 321.31 KB)

Tuberculosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with organisations representing people with TB on support for people with that disease who are unable to work as a result.

Jane Ellison: Departmental officials meet regularly with colleagues from TB Alert, a third sector key partner in the publication of Public Health England’s National Strategy for Tuberculosis (TB), launched in January 2015. TB Alert provides support to those affected by TB including the homeless and unemployed. Officials also liaise with the Find and Treat outreach service that provides TB screening services through a mobile x-ray unit to vulnerable groups.

Tuberculosis and HIV Infection

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people with both TB and HIV receive joined-up care.

Jane Ellison: The Department recognises that joined up care for people with tuberculosis (TB) and HIV, as with other areas of comorbidity or coinfection management, is important. In NHS England’s specialised services, service specifications exist for HIV and for infectious diseases and both make reference to the importance of referral pathways and network arrangements to meet the needs of patients.Separate to NHS England’s commissioning of joined up care for people with TB and HIV, treatment and care services for co-infected sufferers take account of the reference guideline, “British HIV Association guidelines for the treatment of TB/HIV coinfection 2011”, which recommends that patients with both HIV and TB are managed by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in both TB and HIV. A link to this guideline is at:http://www.bhiva.org/documents/Guidelines/TB/hiv_954_online_final.pdfThe role of a TB specialist nurse and multidisciplinary team is essential in the management of co-infected patients.

Tuberculosis

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to develop a strategy for tackling and treating TB throughout the UK.

Jane Ellison: The Collaborative Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy for England 2015-20201 was launched in January 2015. It lays out 10 key ‘areas for actions’ needed to achieve a year on year decrease in TB incidence, a reduction in health inequalities and, ultimately, the elimination of TB as a public health problem in England.Since the strategy was launched Public Health England, together with NHS England, have formed a TB Strategy implementation team and established seven TB control boards across England. These boards are leading the local delivery of the 10 key ‘areas for action’.As health is a devolved matter, Ministers do not regularly discuss these issues, however research and evidence of best practice is made available throughout the United Kingdom.1Public Health England. Collaborative Tuberculosis Strategy for England 2015 to 2020 [Internet]. 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/collaborative-tuberculosis-strategy-for-england

Pneumococcal Disease

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of meningococcal disease there have been in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) England since 2010.

Jane Ellison: National and regional data on the number of cases of invasive meningococcal disease in England are published by Public Health England based on the number of laboratory confirmed cases. There are no published figures by constituency, data are not reported against these boundaries because of the risk of deductive disclosure.Number of laboratory confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease, Yorkshire and Humber and England: 2009/10 to 2014/152009/102010/112011/122012/132013/14Yorkshire and Humber82105699567England8581009730769636

Nutrition

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions his Department has had with clinical commissioning groups on the implementation of recommendations contained in NHS England's Nutrition and Hydration Commissioning Guidance.

Jane Ellison: Several clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) worked with NHS England to develop the guidance (Stafford, Leicesterand Rutland, Gateshead and Salford) and discussions continue with them about the ongoing implementation of the guidance.NHS England’s patient experience team has had discussions with Sutton CCG about implementation of the guidance as part of the Care Home Vanguard programme there.The five CCGs which make up North Central London Strategic Collaborative Commissioning Group are proposing to have one CQUIN to ensure they are ‘commissioning excellent nutrition and hydration’ services. This will be used for all nine acute providers that cover Barnet, Camden, Islington, Haringey and Enfield. They are going to share their proposed outcome measures as soon as they have been agreed.

Colorectal Cancer

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 27 February 2015 to Question 225126, what steps he is taking to ensure growth in investment to increase endoscopy unit capacity in line with the recommendations of Professor Sir Mike Richards, Gateway Reference 16973, of 8 December 2011; and what assessment he has made of progress with planning for 10 to 15 per cent year-on-year increase in lower gastro intestinal endoscopy actively in reducing waiting times and ensuring high quality care.

Jane Ellison: Health Education England has pledged to fund the training of 200 non-medical endoscopists, which will significantly increase endoscopy capacity in England. The first cohort will begin training in January 2016. NHS England’s Sustainable Improvement Team (formerly NHS Improving Quality) is working intensively with trusts that have significant endoscopy waiting lists, in order to improve performance. NHS England is also exploring ways to improve endoscopy performance through pricing changes.

Pneumococcal Disease: Vaccination

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to make a cheaper, more effective vaccine against pneumococcal meningitis available on the NHS.

Jane Ellison: The availability and pricing of vaccines, including any targeting pneumococcal meningitis, are primarily matters for vaccine manufacturers. Available vaccines, and those close to being licensed, are considered and assessed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Department of Health, on their potential use in the national immunisation programme. Vaccines used in the national immunisation programme are chosen following stringent procurement processes, which include competitive tendering, in order to achieve best value for money.

Meningitis: Vaccination

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to improve protection from meningococcal disease; and what steps he plans to take to protect people with low immunity from contracting meningococcal disease.

Jane Ellison: Proptection from meningococcal disease is provided through our successful vaccination programmes. The vaccination programme was recently extended to include vaccines against meningitis B and A,C,W and Y.We also provide information in our resources on the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

Lyme Disease

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) St Albans, (b) Hertfordshire, (c) East of England and (d) the UK have Lyme disease; and what steps is he taking to better treat such people.

Jane Ellison: In 2014, there were 730 laboratory confirmed Lyme disease cases reported in England & Wales. The data submitted is at the level of referring hospital; it does not indicate either where the patient lived or where they were when they contracted the disease and is not recorded at county or regional level. Most Lyme disease cases are diagnosed clinically and treated by general practitioners (GPs).The National Health Service provides treatment for Lyme disease following current international best practice, and Public Health England (PHE) have issued guidance notes for medical professionals aimed at improving recognition, as well as a referral pathway for GPs to follow to seek specialist help for patients who suffer complications from the disease. PHE are investigating the feasibility of creating a network of physicians to develop standardised investigation and treatment protocols for Lyme disease patients with the aim of improving outcomes.With Liverpool University and partners internationally, the rare and imported pathogens laboratory is setting up a research programme into the diagnosis of Lyme disease.

Women and Equalities

Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2015 to Question 700, when she plans to (a) publish the evaluation report on the Access to Elected Office Fund and (b) make a decision on whether that fund should continue.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2015 to Question 223992, how many applications were made to the Access to Elected Office Fund in each year following its establishment; how many of those applications were (a) granted and (b) refused; and what the total amount paid to successful applicants was.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2015 to Question 702, how much has been paid to political candidates (a) in each region, (b) of each political party, (c) of each gender and (d) of each ethnic group from the Access to Elected Office Fund to date.

Caroline Dinenage: The number of people who have applied to the Access to Elected Office for Disabled People Fund is in the table below:Financial Year Number of applicants (some applicants made more than one application) 2012/13272013/14342014/1548The total amount claimed by successful applicants was £271,260 (out of awards totalling £418,733)An evaluation of the pilot fund is currently being undertaken and will be published in due course. An announcement regarding the future of the fund is anticipated early in 2016.The information on regional breakdown of expenditure and the diversity of candidates can be found in the tables below:Region (location of election seat)Amount claimed and paid (£) East Midlands1,099East of England480Greater London89,399North East England4,382North West England20,567South East England69,474South West England21,260West Midlands20,281Yorkshire and Humberside17,882Total (rounded) 271,260Political PartyAmount claimed and paid (£) Conservative32,361Democracy 2015350Green5,791Labour120,846Liberal Democrat32,601Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition276UKIP53,236Independent25,798Total (rounded)271,260GenderAmount claimed and paid (£)Male139,524Female131,736Total 271,260Ethnic GroupAmount claimed and paid (£)White; all backgrounds218,117Mixed ethnic origin1,348Asian; all backgrounds26,680Black/African/Caribbean/Black British22,977Other ethnic group350Prefer not to say1,788Total 271,260